Just like when you own a car and you need to check the oil, lock it when you park it and make sure the brake lights work, do you need to take care of your computer.

Yes, we all wish that it would just take care of it self and that there where no bad guys out there trying to steal it.

But it's not that hard. It just take a little time and some practice.

Follow these steps and you will be just fine:

Firewall
Operating System updates
Virus
Ad and Spy detecting software
Disk Defragmentation
Physical safety
Backup

1 Firewall

Before you connect your computer to the Internet, you should install a firewall. This is a piece of software or hardware that helps protect your PC against hackers and many computer viruses and worms.

The firewall keeps track of all communications that have originated from your computer, and it prevents unsolicited traffic from reaching your computer.

Turn it on if you have Microsoft XP or buy software or hardware.

Go to www.microsoft.com/protect and follow instructions.

2 Operating System updates

First go to www.microsoft.com/protect and follow instructions.

Make sure you set up your computer to automatically download new operating system updates. It is EXTREMELY important that you always update when they have been downloaded! (What happens is that new updates downloads to your computer but YOU have to say; "OK, install it".

You can see that a new update is ready to install when you see the little globe with flying windows in your lower right corner. Close all programs and click on the icon.

3. Virus

	> Buy an Anti Virus program
	> I think Norton Antivirus is best.
	> Pay renewal each year
	> Have Live Update on
	> Have Schedule set for a time when computer is ON.

4. Ad and Spy detecting software

To keep your computer up and running fast and free, you need to run the following two programs once a week. And remember to turn on Immunization in Spybot. DO NOT download any other spy ware unless you know it's an ok software. Do you know that there are now pop-up ads for "Spy ware and pop-up removers" that do the opposite; they install MORE malicious spy-ware and pop-ups on your computer!

Spybot: (free)
http://www.safer-networking.org/

Ad-aware: (free)
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Yes, you need both of them. They complement each other and take care of different things.

5. Disk Defragmentation

Disk Defragmenter consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk, so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the volume. As a result, your system can gain access to your files and folders and save new ones more efficiently. By consolidating your files and folders, Disk Defragmenter also consolidates the volume's free space, making it less likely that new files will be fragmented.

To open Disk Defragmenter, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

You should analyze volumes before defragmenting them. This tells you whether you need to take the time to defragment them.

6. Physical safety

Always, always use a surge protector between your computer and the wall outlet.

7. Backup

Every hard drive will crash. It's just a matter of time. And when the time comes you will love your backups!

There are may ways to do backups and, yes you should back up everything and so on, but at lets face it; it takes for ever. But if you just follow this instructions you will cover the most important stuff:

Backup your "My Documents" folder. Back up to a USB key (then you can have all your files with you at all times in your pocket), a second hard drive on your computer or write to a CD. When I say backup, what I mean is COPY. Go to My Computer on your desktop, right click My Documents folder and and copy.

PC Maintenance Scheduling

• Daily
– Virus scanning on, Backup

• Weekly
– Virus scan hard drive. Windows update.

• Monthly
– Disk Cleanup (Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools (moves temporary internet files, clears the recycle bin, and dumps other disk trash.

– Run spy and ad scanning (or when needed)

• Quarterly
– Disk Defragmentation (System tools)

• Yearly
- PC cleaning (remove dust from inside of your PC)

Don't

• Never open unknown e-mail attachments.

• Never, NEVER believe a “Hoax” .(That is an email from a friend of yours that tells you that she/he had a virus that Anti-Virus programs can not delete, so you have to follow instructions on how to delete it yourself. Anti virus program will take care of everything!

• Be aware of what programs you install! For any downloads, go to the companies web page or to www.Cnet.com ->Downloads

• Except for the regular programs you have on your computer, you only need Acrobat reader, Flash, RealOne Player, QuickTime player.

• Don’t use Beta versions of software.

• Never answer an e-mail to have your name taken of mailing list, use junk mail folder instead. Right click -> Junk mail -> add to Junk mail sender list. (Works for Outlook, don’t know about Outlook Express).

Definitions

• Browser: Short for Web browser, a software application used to locate and display Web pages. The two most popular browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Both of these are graphical browsers, which means that they can display graphics as well as text. In addition, most modern browsers can present multimedia information, including sound and video, though they require plug-ins for some formats.

• Home page: The main page of a Web site. Typically, the home page serves as an index or table of contents to other documents stored at the site. The term also used for the page that first open when you start your browser.

• Firewall: Software that monitors incoming and outgoing Internet traffic to your computer and checks for suspicious patterns. A firewall may alert you to spyware or a Trojan horse installed on your computer.

• Virus: A program that replicates itself across a network, or the Internet as a whole. The virus payload may be destructive, like deleting files, or it could simply try to overwhelm a network by copying itself.

• Worm: A virus that replicates itself without human intervention. If the victim has to open an e-mail attachment to get infected, it's a virus. But if it scans for new victims and attacks by itself, it's a worm.

• Trojan horse: A program that doesn't necessarily replicate itself, but like the legendary wooden horse is much more than it appears. A Trojan horse program might look like a game, but instead it steals your personal information and sends it to a criminal.

• Spyware: A general term for a program that surreptitiously monitors your actions. While they are sometimes sinister, like a remote control program used by a hacker, software companies have been known to use spyware to gather data about customers. The practice is generally frowned upon.